


buckle up because we're going in for the link turn

by ianthan (jedikhaleesi)



Series: deb(d)ate [4]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Chatting & Messaging, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, PEN CULTURE IS DEBATE CULTURE, speech and debate au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-06-26 04:57:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15656220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jedikhaleesi/pseuds/ianthan
Summary: Your favorite debaters have arrived at the state tournament! It's Cody, Padmé, and Obi-Wan's last tournament, but that doesn't mean we'll see any less of Anakin, Ahsoka, and Rex. It's gonna be a good one.Now complete!





	1. Friday, April 23

**Author's Note:**

> Just a reminder of the chats -  
> states squad - chat with Anakin, Ahsoka, Padmé, Obi-Wan, Rex, and Cody

April 23 at 2:05 PM

**states squad**

**Obi-Wan Kenobi**

@Anakin Skywalker @Ahsoka Tano Where are you? Roll call starts in 10 minutes.

 

**Ahsoka Tano**

still on the freeway

 

**Padmé Amidala**

What? You’ll be late!

 

**Anakin Skywalker**

Blame coach yoda

“Trust in the force you must”

“Late temple forensics is never”

 

**Ahsoka Tano**

without a coach temple forensics boutta be

 

**Rex Fett**

Yikes

 

**Anakin Skywalker**

Can you guys just say we’re here when they call our names

 

**Obi-Wan Kenobi**

Fine.

* * *

“We’re here!” Ahsoka yelled, dashing into the auditorium right as the lady running prep called out “Temple ST”. The assembled teams turned to stare at her and then Anakin, who barrelled into her back. When they righted themselves, the other debaters were still staring.

Her face scrunched in disdain, the lady said, “All right. Take a seat, please.”

Ahsoka spotted Padmé, Obi-Wan, Cody, and Rex at the back of the auditorium wearing relieved expressions. The first two were sitting with the other Coruscant team that had qualified to states, but Cody and Rex were alone at the table right next to it. Upon reaching their table, Anakin and Ahsoka set down the various bags they were carrying. In letting go of his backpack, Anakin also let go of his water bottle. The forty-ounce monstrosity bounced off the edge of the table and made a spectacular  _ bang! _ when it hit the floor. Once again, the assembled debaters turned to face them.

“Take a seat, please,” the lady repeated. With embarrassment, Ahsoka noted that she was Depa Billaba, the renowned coach of Chalacta. She was becoming more disgruntled with them by the minute.

Ahsoka sat. Anakin retrieved his water bottle from where it had rolled underneath Padmé’s table.

“You two were right in the nick of time,” Rex whispered to her.

“Thank goodness,” she whispered back. She reached into her backpack and pulled out two of her beloved Shili .05 mm pens along with a few pieces of paper. Rex reached out to touch one of her pens, and she reflexively slammed her hand down on top of his. The resulting thud made everyone else at their table jump. Rex stared at her with wide, incredulous eyes.

“Don’t touch my pens,” she hissed.

Rex slowly retracted his hand from under hers. “I won’t touch your pens,” he promised, moving his chair away from her side of the table.

“Ahsoka has a thing about pens,” Anakin explained apologetically. “She’s really particular about what kind she buys and is afraid people will steal them from her, so she never lets anyone touch them.”

Cody was staring at her bemusedly, which made her feel the need to justify herself. She added, “If I let people touch them or use them, they’ll realize how good they are and never give them back!” At that, Cody outright chuckled.

“Quiet in the back!” Ms. Billaba called from the front of the room. The four of them froze, caught in the act, and guiltily stopped talking until she was done with roll call.

“I will announce the topic in ten minutes,” she declared. “Use this time to get all the talking out of your systems-” here she looked pointedly at their table- “as talking with anyone who is not your partner is not allowed during prep time.” 

When she looked away from the debaters, the auditorium exploded into noise. Padmé and Obi-Wan drifted over to their table. 

“So.” Obi-Wan crossed his arms over his chest. “You two finally made it.”

“It’s not our fault Coach Yoda made us leave half an hour late,” Anakin protested. Then, abruptly turning his attention to Padmé, he said, “I’ve never seen you wear pants before.”

She smiled slyly. “Well, I’m actually not supposed to. Our team doesn’t allow girls to wear pants, but since it’s my last tournament, I’m ignoring that rule.”

“You can’t wear pants?” Ahsoka repeated disbelievingly. She looked down at her own pair of pants. She loved these pants. A tournament without these pants was not a tournament she wanted to go to.

“Nope,” Padmé confirmed. She looked extremely satisfied with herself. “When Coach Palpatine saw me he almost had a fit. He wanted me to change but I told him that I only brought pants.”

Anakin looked at her like she had hung all the stars in the sky. Ahsoka decided that Anakin’s heart eyes were revolting.

* * *

After Round 1, Coach Palpatine showed up with a skirt. When he spotted Anakin talking to Padmé, his eyes lit up in excitement.

“Ah, Mr. Skywalker,” he said delightedly. Anakin stopped mid-sentence and gaped at him. 

“Coach Palpatine…” he said. His tone did not go unnoticed by the rest of them. Ahsoka narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out what he was thinking.

“It’s so good to see you. It was so unfortunate that you didn’t choose Coruscant Academy, you know. I really did push for you with the admissions office.”

Anakin shrugged, clearly uncomfortable. “Well, Temple’s a really good school, and I already lived in the district, so my mom told me to just go there instead.”

Coach Palpatine shook his head regretfully. “Oh, what a shame. You’re such a good boy. I’m glad you know my debaters, though.”

Padmé smiled. From what she was hearing, Coach Palpatine would definitely approve of Anakin as her boyfriend. Intending on telling him that, she reached for Anakin’s hand, but instead of taking it, he passed it to Rex, who was standing on the other side of him. She went from surprised to confused to alarmed in the span of three seconds, and judging from the faces Rex made, so had he. When she looked at Anakin, he smiled at her as if to say  _ I’ll tell you later _ . She tried to communicate  _ This better be good or you’re so getting it _ in her responding glare. 

“Yes, we’re good friends,” Anakin said. “Not more-than-friends like Padmé and Rex are, but we’re friends.” 

Obi-Wan and Cody stared at Padmé and Rex’s connected hands with confusion. Padmé tried to let go of Rex’s hand, and he let her fingers slip through his, but Anakin shoved their fingers back together again before their fingers even moved an inch.

Coach Palpatine  _ tsk _ ed at his debater. “Speaking of, Padmé, I bought you this,” he told her, forcing the forgotten skirt into her hands. “Change into it for the next round. You can wear it for the rest of the tournament.”

Padmé pretended to check the size of the skirt and then handed it back to him, sighing, “Oh, it’s the wrong size.”

“It will be fine,” Coach Palpatine promised.

“But Coach, I can’t go to a debate round with a skirt that’s too tight,” she protested. “It’ll ride up and be too short, and I don’t want to show anyone anything they don’t want to see, you know?”

He frowned and reluctantly took the skirt back. “Fine. I’ll have you know, Padmé, if this wasn’t your last tournament, you would be disciplined for this.”

“Thanks for being so lenient on me, Coach,” she said. 

Coach Palpatine  _ tsk _ ed at her one more time, and then turned to Anakin. “It’s been very good seeing you again, Mr. Skywalker. I still hope to see you at Coruscant one day.” With that, he turned and left.

As soon as he was out of sight, Rex dropped her hand like it was on fire. Padmé would have been offended, but if he hadn’t gotten to it first, she would have done the same. “What was all that about?” she demanded. “Why didn’t you let me hold your hand?”

Five gazes waited expectantly for Anakin’s answer.

“Coach Palpatine freaks me out,” Anakin said, looking from left to right like he was expecting the old man to jump out from behind a tree and intrude on their conversation. “When I was applying to high schools he always found me at every admissions event he could and chatted me up. He really wanted me to go to Coruscant but he wouldn’t tell me why, and that was really creepy. It’s been three years and I’m still creeped out thinking about it. And you heard him, he still thinks he has a chance of convincing me to go. If he knew that we were dating, he would use our relationship as leverage.”

Padmé processed this. “You know, I’m not sure I believe this, but okay. Was the whole business with Rex’s hand necessary though?”

“He’ll pounce on me if he knows we’re dating! Can you pretend to date Rex? Just for the weekend?” Anakin asked desperately. 

Entirely too amused, Obi-Wan told Padmé reassuringly, “It’s just for the weekend.” 

Rex spluttered. “Excuse me, are you volunteering me for this?”

“You don’t want to date Padmé?” 

“You don’t want to date me?” Padmé asked at the same time.

“I- I mean- you’re great and all, but fake dating is so weird-”

“Rex, help a friend out,” Anakin begged. “Come on, man. I’ll owe you one.”

“He’ll owe you one,” Cody said. Like his boyfriend, his mouth was curling up at the corners. Standing side by side, they looked positively evil.

“I’ll do it,” Padmé declared, mostly to see how Rex would react.

Rex looked at her, at Anakin, at Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, his brother, and realized that there was no way he could get out of this. “Okay. Only for the weekend, though,” he said. “And you so owe me one, Skywalker.”

Anakin was in the middle of promising to buy him lunch when Satine showed up. “Rex, Cody, postings are up for your second round.”

“Thanks, Satine,” Cody told her. She smiled at him, but when she saw Obi-Wan next to him, her eyes immediately narrowed. 

“ _ Obi-Wan _ ,” she said dangerously. Her voice promised retribution. Anakin and Ahsoka instinctively shrunk into themselves a little. Obi-Wan’s mouth opened in surprise and a bit of fear. Padmé knew this wasn’t going to end well. Ever since their breakup, they hadn’t been able to spend one peaceful minute in each other’s presences.

“Satine,” he said, as jovially as possible. It sounded very artificial.

“I didn’t know you were going to be here.”

“Here I am,” Obi-Wan tried. When she continued glaring at him, he asked, “And I assume you’re in oratory?”

She bit off a “yes”, glared at him one last time, and whirled away in a flurry of blue cloth. Padmé watched her go. She really liked Satine’s blue suit. Judging from the way Ahsoka’s eyes followed her, she really liked it too.

“She really hates you,” Cody observed.

Obi-Wan pressed his face into his hand. “Thank you. I hadn’t noticed.”   


* * *

10:29 PM

**Ani**

You guys are staying at the marriott too right

 

**Padmé Amidala**

Yup.

 

**Ani**

Can i come over

 

**Padmé Amidala**

Sure.

 

Padmé and Anakin were making out and in the pauses discussing what aliens would look like when there was a knock at the door.

“But you need opposable thumbs-” Padmé shushed him and called, “Who is it?” She had a feeling that she already knew. If it was Mon, they were fine. But what was more likely to be the case… 

“It’s Coach Palpatine,” came through the door. Anakin’s expression immediately turned horrified. Padmé was terrified for another reason. Boys from other schools were definitely not allowed in their hotel rooms at night.

“What do we do?” Anakin hissed.

Padmé surveyed the room, trying to figure out where she could hide a six foot tall teenage boy, and her eyes landed on the closet. “In there,” she whispered, and pulled him off the bed.

“Am I going to fit?” 

“Just do it.” She slid open the door, shoved him in, and closed it. Then she brushed her hair away from her face and opened the door of the hotel room. “Hi, Coach Palpatine.”  _ Please don’t do the thing where you hang out in our rooms talking to us for hours _ , she begged in her own mind.

Coach Palpatine settled into the desk chair, clearly preparing to do just that. “Hello, my dear. How were your first two rounds today?”

In an attempt to appear casual (as if she wasn’t hiding her boyfriend, who didn’t want her coach to know he was her boyfriend, in a hotel closet) she sat back down on her bed. “I think they went well,” she said. For the life of her she couldn’t remember anything about her rounds right now. She was too terrified. “How many rounds are there tomorrow?”

“Four. I’ve been looking at the field, and I think your toughest opposition will be from our district. Luckily, you won’t have to debate them for the first three rounds.”

“That’s good. I’m really good friends with all the other teams in our district, I’d hate to debate them here.”

“If you do end up debating one of them, we can always prepare beforehand. With a little preparation, I’m sure you and Obi-Wan can beat anyone in the field.”

“Thank you, Coach,” Padmé said gratefully. Receiving praise from Coach Palpatine always made her feel more confident about her odds.

“You should go to bed soon. I’ll get Mon from Bail and Obi-Wan’s room.” He rose and began to walk out. For a moment Padmé allowed her shoulders to slump in relief, but then Coach Palpatine paused by the door and put his hand on the handle of the closet door. “Say, which blouse are you wearing tomorrow?”

Padmé walked up to him and subtly lodged her foot against the closet door. “The blue one.”

“Dark or light blue?”

“Light blue. Obi-Wan’s light blue tie is nicer.”

“Good,” Coach Palpatine said approvingly. “I was just about to comment on Obi-Wan’s dark blue tie as well.”

“I don’t like that one,” Padmé confided. “I try to wear dark blue as little as possible just to avoid seeing him wear it.”

“It is quite ugly.”

Something in the closet clattered.

“What’s that?” Coach Palpatine asked. 

Padmé mentally cursed Anakin. This enterprise, which had been his idea in the first place, mind you, was getting so complicated. “Oh, I must not have put my blazer on the hanger correctly. I guess it fell down. I’ll fix it later.” She leaned on the closet door as casually as possible to prevent her coach from opening it. How successful she was, she really wasn’t sure.

“All right. Good night, Padmé.” Coach Palpatine reached for the hotel door and finally, blessedly, left. 

Padmé waited one minute, two minutes, three minutes, and when her coach didn’t magically reappear, she opened the closet door. Anakin unfolded himself from where he had been crouched in a corner and hung the blazer that had fallen back up. “That was the worst,” he proclaimed.

“How do you think I felt?” she asked. “Ugh. Okay, you better go back to your room in case he shows up again.”

“Okay,” Anakin sighed.

Padmé looked the hotel hallway up and down multiple times to ensure the coast was clear, and as quickly as possible, she shoved Anakin into the hallway in the direction of his room. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she promised. “Get out of here.”

“See you tomorrow,” he replied, grinning at her with a dopey smile, and he drifted down the hallway away from her.

* * *

 

11:42 PM

**Ani**

Anakin, you took my phone!

 

**Padmé Amidala**

Oh shit

I can come back

 

**Ani**

No! 

What if Coach Palpatine comes back?

 

**Padmé Amidala**

UGH

I’ll give it back tmo


	2. Saturday, April 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaos with phones, Spotify playlists, pen thieves, the dating charade continues, and we find out who made it to the elimination rounds. Also: we meet Lux, and get a glimpse of Satine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally finished the third chapter so now I get to put up this second one!!
> 
> Notes about chat names:  
> Please remember that last chapter, Anakin and Padmé switched phones! So for the first part of this chapter, they'll be texting under each other's respective chat names.
> 
> Snips/Skyguy - Ahsoka/Anakin (Padmé)  
> states squad - chat with Anakin, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Padmé, Cody, and Rex  
> Her Royal President/The Negotiator - Padmé/Obi-Wan

April 24 at 7:47 AM

**Snips**

skyguy where you at

coach yoda wants to buy breakfast at safeway before we go

 

**Skyguy**

Hey Ahsoka, this is Padmé. 

Anakin and I accidentally switched phones last night, so if you want to reach him you should text him instead.

 

**Snips**

uh wtf

how did you guys switch phones…

what was he doing in your room…

 

**Skyguy**

Do you really want to know the answer to the second question?

 

**Snips**

no

nope

definitely not

 

7:50 AM

**Ahsoka Tano**

hurry tf up anakin

 

**Padmé Amidala**

How did you know this was me

 

**Ahsoka Tano**

she told me you accidentally switched phones yesterday

 

**Padmé Amidala**

Yeah my mistake haha

Did you know

She shoved me into a closet when her coach showed up

 

**Ahsoka Tano**

AHAHA

serves you right for sneaking out of your room late at night

 

8:15 AM

**Ani**

Anakin, where are you?

You’re late again.

 

**Padmé Amidala**

Sorry

Getting breakfast at safeway took longer than we thought it would

Also, coach yoda drives really slow

 

**Ani**

Okay, but are you close to the school?

 

**Padmé Amidala**

Yeah five mins out max

 

**Ani**

We won’t have time to exchange phones before round 3.

 

**Padmé Amidala**

We’ll survive

Probably

Also why do i have a nickname and you don’t

 

**Ani**

Seriously?

Why are you only noticing this now?

 

**Padmé Amidala**

I feel like i never saw the notification when you changed it

And it’s my nickname so i never saw it

But now that i have your phone i’m staring at it

 

_ Padmé Amidala changed her own nickname to Pad. _

 

**Pad**

Nice

There we go

 

**Ani**

That… why.

Why are you like this.

 

**Pad**

It’s the first three letters of your name! like my nickname

 

**Ani**

I can’t wait to get my phone back.

 

8:20 AM

**Skyguy**

Anakin changed my nickname to Pad in our chat and I feel so attacked.

 

**Snips**

im sitting next to him in the van

i watched him do it

 

**Skyguy**

What am I, a female hygiene product?

 

**Snips**

lMAO

 

8:23 AM

_ Ahsoka Tano changed Padmé Amidala’s nickname to Tampondala. _

 

**Tampondala**

Snips wtf

 

**Ahsoka Tano**

if u get to call her pad i get to make a pun on feminine hygiene products too

 

**Tampondala**

Wait. what

* * *

After their third round, their little group of six gathered at a table outside the auditorium. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka watched with raised eyebrows as Padmé and Anakin sheepishly exchanged phones. 

“Next they’re going to swap partners,” Ahsoka said. “You’ll get Anakin and I’ll have fun with Padmé.”

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin suspiciously. “I don’t know about this. Is he one of those debaters whom you have to talk out of crazy ideas?”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Ahsoka grumbled.

“Hey! I resent that!”  
“Obi-Wan, you have your share of crazy ideas,” Padmé pointed out. Obi-Wan could ride his high horse all he wanted, but at the end of the day, Padmé had convinced him out of making weird and/or crazy arguments so many times that she couldn’t remember how many times she had done it.

“Who’s the one who has to pretend she’s not dating him for the weekend?”

“Okay, fair.” Padmé thumbed through her notifications and gaped at her, or rather Anakin’s, most recent messages with Ahsoka. “ _ Tampondala _ ?” she asked Ahsoka incredulously.

Ahsoka snickered. 

The tournament schedule was the kind Anakin truly hated, with three hours or more of waiting in between every debate round. Anakin really wasn’t a patient kind of person, and neither was Ahsoka, so their main contributions to the conversation after that point were complaints. When Obi-Wan’s phone rang, he looked relieved at not having to deal with them anymore. Then his expression turned terrified. Anakin could hear screaming coming from the phone.

“Obi-Wan, who is it?” Padmé asked.

“Here, you take this,” Obi-Wan said, and shoved the phone onto Anakin’s ear. Anakin put his hand up purely to prevent it from falling to the ground and immediately regretted it. 

“- _ trying to pretend that you’re a nice person, when in fact I know the opposite! Don’t think I’ve forgotten that Facebook debacle from two years ago. _ ” Anakin drew in a breath to protest that he wasn’t Obi-Wan, but the girl on the other side of the phone immediately picked up on it. “ _ If you think you get to say anything, you’re wrong! That’s another problem of yours, you know. You don’t listen. You never listened to me! _ ” Anakin winced. Next to him, Obi-Wan was chatting gaily away with Cody. 

“ _ You could’ve given me notice that you were coming to states too. That’s what friends would have done, and you know what, when we broke up you said we’d always be friends! Then you went and did  _ that.” Anakin did not want to know what ‘that’ was. It didn’t sound good. “ _ You know what friends would do, if they were really friends? Tell each other when they make it to important tournaments! But no! You never tell me anything! Do you have anything to say for yourself? _ ”

“Um.” Anakin said into the phone.

On the other end, the girl gasped. “ _ Oh my goodness. You’re not Obi-Wan. Did he force his phone onto you? _ ”

“Yes.”

“ _ I am so sorry. He was meant to hear that, not you. _ ”

“I figured that out, yes.”

“ _ I’m so sorry, again. Goodbye _ ,” the girl on the phone said curtly, and ended the call.

Anakin grabbed Obi-Wan’s wrist, turned his palm upwards, and thrust his phone back into his hands. “Who was that, an angry ex?”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan admitted, curling his fingers around his phone. “Sorry, she’s done that before. I didn’t feel like listening to it, and she can tell when you aren’t listening to her, so what I usually do is just foist my phone off into someone else’s hands.”

“You’re terrible,” Padmé told him.

“I know.”

* * *

COLLABORATIVE PLAYLIST

**states 2018**

Created by Ahsoka Tano - 1 song, 3 min

Everything Sucks - Simple Plan - Added by Ahsoka Tano

 

10:32 AM

**states squad**

**Anakin Skywalker**

@Ahsoka Tano What is this

 

**Ahsoka Tano**

a way for me to burn some time before our next round

 

**Rex Fett**

I like how the one song in this playlist is “everything sucks”

 

**Ahsoka Tano**

those 10 am vibes tho

hmu with more songs

* * *

Round four came and went, and Ahsoka found her computer dangerously low on battery. “I need to recharge,” she told Anakin. “I’m going inside.” He shrugged, preoccupied with Padmé, and she picked up her stuff and entered the nearest building.

She scanned the room for an empty outlet. There was only one, and as at all debate tournaments ever, there was an extension cord with a million plugs stuck into it. She thought she saw one space free, though, so she walked as quickly as possible over and seated herself across the guy sitting in the chair by the outlet. 

“Hey,” she said, and the guy looked up at her from where he had been staring at his phone. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t quite place him. From the way his expression opened up, he seemed to recognize her, which made her feel a little guilty because she definitely couldn’t say the same. “Can I plug in?”

He glanced down at the extension cord. “Oh. Yeah, sure. I mean, it’s not mine, but be my guest.”

She plugged her computer into it and then stared at the boy across her, trying to figure out where she knew him from. Finally, she said, “I know you, don’t I?”

“I mean, we’ve seen each other at tournaments and stuff, but we do different events,” he answered. “You’re in debate, I do extemp.”

“Oh, okay. You’re from the Core Worlds district?”

He nodded.

“Okay! That’s why I recognize you!” she exclaimed. “What school are you from?”

“I actually go to Coruscant with Padmé and Obi-Wan,” he answered. He held out a hand. “I’m Lux. It’s nice to meet you.” 

“Ahsoka,” she said, shaking it firmly. “I’m from Temple.”

They smiled at each other and Ahsoka redirected her attention back to her computer. Now that she had more than 3% charge, she was confident that opening Spotify was possible. The playlist she had started 3 hours ago now had one more addition.

 

COLLABORATIVE PLAYLIST

**states 2018**

Created by Ahsoka Tano - 2 songs, 7 min

I Wanna Go Home - Van Morrison - Added by Padmé Amidala

 

When she saw it, she cackled and opened up their group chat.

 

12:59 PM

**states squad**

**Ahsoka Tano**

padmé i relate

 

**Anakin Skywalker**

That song was my idea

 

A reminder appeared on her screen that she had a trig test on Tuesday, and Ahsoka grimaced. She wasn’t doing too hot in that class, so she should at least review her homework sometime this weekend so she didn’t have to cram on Monday night. She pulled out her trig notebook and a red pen and got to work.

She got so sucked into her work that she missed the twenty notifications about postings from Anakin, Rex, and as the first two got more and more desperate, Obi-Wan, Padmé, and Cody. Eventually Anakin found her himself. 

“Ahsoka, pairings are up! We gotta go!” Anakin looked generally disheveled from running around the campus. Why he had been running, she didn’t know. She was in the building closest to where they had been sitting earlier.

“Okay, okay! Give me one second!” She swept her notebook into her bag and unplugged her computer forcefully. “Bye, Lux. It was nice meeting you.”

“Bye, Ahsoka,” he said. Or at least she thought that was what he said, because Anakin grabbed her by the arm and practically propelled her out of the building.

They rushed to the prep room, prepared their arguments, and rushed to their round. Three hours of waiting in between rounds, and then an intense one and a half hour period of rushing, rushing, rushing. Sometimes things got lost in all that rushing, which Ahsoka realized as she pulled out paper and pens.

“I don’t have my red pen,” she said frantically.

“Just use this one,” Anakin muttered, rolling his own across the desk.

“I hate your pens.”

“Well, you don’t have a choice.”

She flowed with his crappy red pen. It was very dissatisfying. She didn’t like using ballpoint pens for a reason. Gel pens just moved across the paper so much better. When the round was over, she threw Anakin’s pen back at him. It wasn’t even a nice pen to touch, really. “Take this back,” she growled. “I’m going to reclaim my red pen.”

Ahsoka was able to wait until Anakin had finished packing up before darting out of the room. She knew exactly where she had left her red pen, and if it wasn’t there, she was going to raise hell.

It wasn’t there, and neither was Lux. “That kriffing thief stole my pen!” she exploded, to empty air.

 

2:26 PM

**states squad**

**Ahsoka Tano**

HE TOOK MY PEN

 

**Rex Fett**

I fear for his life

 

**Ahsoka Tano**

HE’S GONNA GET IT

 

**Obi-Wan Kenobi**

Who stole your pen?

 

_ Anakin Skywalker changed Ahsoka Tano’s nickname to Pen Gollum. _

 

**Pen Gollum**

THE KID ON YOUR TEAM WHO DOES EXTEMP

LUX

 

**Rex Fett**

This nickname is v accurate

 

**Anakin Skywalker**

Ooooh lux is so dead

Idek this kid

Who is he

 

**Padmé Amidala**

Oh, he’s a sophomore. Just like you, Ahsoka.

 

**Pen Gollum**

i want my pen back

 

Ahsoka found the five of them at the same table they had been sitting at earlier in the day. Grumbling, she threw down her backpack and sat down.

“Sorry about your pen,” Rex offered, but the corners of his mouth were turned up in amusement.

“Lux is going to be sorry,” she muttered into the table.

“I see Coach Palpatine,” Anakin announced, out of nowhere and with horror.

“So?” Ahsoka asked.

“Padmé, you have to sit next to Rex!” he ordered.

“Are you really still doing this?” Cody asked. His lips were stretched into a disbelieving smile.

“I’m getting lunch out of it, so yeah,” Rex answered.

Padmé rolled her eyes at Anakin, got up from where she had been seated next to him, and plopped down again beside Rex. 

“That was so unsubtle!” Anakin hissed. “You should have crawled under the table! What if he had seen you getting up and going around?”

“Is unsubtle a word?” Rex wondered.

Padmé exclaimed indignantly, “I am not crawling on the ground in my new pants! And Coach Palpatine wasn’t even looking in this direction!”

“He is now,” Obi-Wan informed them.

“Act like a couple!” Anakin waved his hands at them frantically. Ahsoka propped her chin on her hand and waited with amusement to see what would happen.

Padmé and Rex looked at each other awkwardly as Anakin’s hand gestures grew more frantic. Finally, Rex took his hand off the table and slung his arm around Padmé’s shoulders. “Is this okay?” he asked her.

She beamed at him. “It’s very considerate of you to ask. Yes, it’s fine.”

“Hey, don’t be too gentlemanly,” Anakin warned. “That’s still my girlfriend.” He was immediately pinned under five judgmental glares. “What?”

“I’ll kindly remind you that this is all your fault,” Padmé told him acidly. “I bet if I was actually dating Rex, he’d never make me do something as stupid as this.”

“Hey!”

* * *

8:17 PM

**states squad**

**Padmé Amidala**

I’m so nervous for when they release breaks..

 

**Pen Gollum**

u guys are awesome

ik you’ll make it

 

**Padmé Amidala**

Thanks, Ahsoka.

 

COLLABORATIVE PLAYLIST

**states 2018**

Created by Ahsoka Tano - 3 songs, 11 min

Still Waiting - Sum 41 - Added by Anakin Skywalker

  
  


9:02 PM

**states squad**

**Obi-Wan Kenobi**

The song Anakin just added to the playlist is me at every debate tournament I’ve ever been to.

 

**Cody Fett**

Breaks are up

 

**Rex Fett**

Everyone from our district made it

 

**Pen Gollum**

OMG YAY

  
**Obi-Wan Kenobi**

Congrats, everyone!

See all of you tomorrow. 

 

8:22 PM

**Her Royal President**

I can’t believe tomorrow will be our last day debating ever.

 

**The Negotiator**

Let’s make it a good one. We can crush the competition, Padmé.

 

**Her Royal President**

Coruscant AK rallies one last time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me at my own characterization of Satine: what is this. (I try to be nicer to her in the third chapter.)
> 
> Expect the final chapter to go up next Wednesday! I just need to proofread and make some final edits, and then this fic should be finished!


	3. Sunday, April 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elimination rounds begin, van struggles, the Spotify playlist grows, Satine appears, Ahsoka reclaims her pen, and the awards ceremony! On a more serious note: all good things must eventually come to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder:
> 
> states squad - chat with Padme, Ahsoka (Pen Gollum), Anakin, Obi-Wan, Rex, and Cody.  
> states 2018 - collaborative Spotify playlist.  
> Snips/Skyguy - DMs with Ahsoka/Anakin

“Sorry you guys didn’t pick up your octos round,” Padmé said sympathetically.

Ahsoka shrugged cheerfully. “It’s okay! Anakin and I didn’t even think we’d get to states, much less make it to the elimination rounds!”

“I mean, I’m kinda disappointed,” Anakin admitted, “but yeah, just getting to be here is really cool. I’m glad we get to be at your guys’ last tournament.”

“No, don’t remind me,” Padmé moaned. “I’m not ready to be done.”

* * *

11:30 AM

**states squad**

**Cody Fett**

Quarters postings are up

 

**Anakin Skywalker**

@Ahsoka Tano i’m going to watch Padmé & Obi-Wan’s quarters round

Wbu

 

**Pen Gollum**

prob going to watch rex & cody

 

**Anakin Skywalker**

Ok

Btw coach yoda said apparently the van got stolen?

 

**Pen Gollum**

what.

 

**Padmé Amidala**

Oh my goodness.

 

**Obi-Wan Kenobi**

Every time you mention Coach Yoda, it’s in connection with something absolutely hilarious. Like this. This is hilarious.

 

**Anakin Skywalker**

Idk?

Who would steal a van with “temple high school” across the side from a school parking lot

Also re: obi-wan coach yoda is the reason temple forensics is a mess   
  


**Pen Gollum**

can confirm

* * *

COLLABORATIVE PLAYLIST

**states 2018**

Created by Ahsoka Tano - 4 songs, 14 min

The End - The Doors - Added by Cody Fett

 

12:49 PM

**states squad**

**Obi-Wan Kenobi**

@Cody Fett What?

Did you lose your quarters round?

 

**Rex Fett**

Yeah, we lost

 

**Padmé Amidala**

I’m sorry, that sucks.

 

**Rex Fett**

Yeah it kinda does 

 

**Obi-Wan Kenobi**

Where’s Cody?

 

**Rex Fett**

I think he wants to be alone rn 

 

Cody ignored the buzzing coming from his phone and stared out across the walkway. He watched teens in their perfectly pressed suits eating, chatting in large groups, or practicing their speeches to walls, and was hit with both a sense of loss and  _ jeez, this activity is incredibly weird _ . How had he spent four years whiling away his weekends on high school or college campuses discussing public policy? How had he enjoyed it so much? And now he was sad about moving on from this sometimes godforsaken and hellish activity. 

It was a weird conundrum. He knew everything that was bad and everything that was good about debate, and while the bad stuff kept pressing down on him, the good stuff drew him back every time. Despite getting gradually burned out as the year had gone on, he had still come to states determined to do his best and with the goal of at least making it to semis. 

He hadn’t accomplished that goal. 

Quarters was good, yeah, but he was a senior. This was his last tournament ever, and though he knew he shouldn’t, there was still a part of him that equated his worth with his results. Especially because he was dating one half of one of the best debate teams the circuit had seen in years. Obi-Wan and Padmé really were in a league of their own. Watching them debate made him realize just how far and away their skill was from his. While they were soaring among the stars, he was solidly in the middle of the ranks. The upper middle, sure, but it was still the middle. The two of them done so much more in their four years than he could probably do in eight.

“Cody?”

He turned his head, and there was Satine, looking at him sympathetically. He smiled at her. “Hey, Satine.”

She sat down next to him on the bench. “I’m sorry you didn’t win your quarters round.”

He shrugged. “Thanks. It’s okay, though.”

“You don’t have to be okay with it right now.” When he met her eyes, she was watching him with compassion and understanding. 

“Can I ask you a question?” he asked. “You don’t have to answer.”

“Yeah, of course.”

“When you were dating Obi-Wan…” her face hardened, but when he closed his mouth she gestured for him to continue. “Did you ever feel like you weren’t good enough?”

Satine’s mouth opened a little. She glanced down at her skirt and compulsively smoothed out an invisible wrinkle in the fabric. “He and Padmé are really on another level,” she said, avoiding the question. Then she went on. “It’s hard not to feel inferior when he’s winning tournaments while you’re struggling to break.”

“Yeah. That’s exactly how I feel.” Cody stared out across the walkway again. A girl dressed in red was emphatically explaining how someone in her interp round shouldn’t have made it to elimination rounds.

“You’re a good debater, Cody,” Satine said. “I really believe that.”

“Thanks. Not as good as Obi-Wan, though.”

“There’s no point in comparing yourself to him.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I know.” The girl in red moved away from them. She was still speaking at the top of her voice. A boy in a green tie followed her obediently. “It’s hard, though.”

“If he makes you feel inferior, he doesn’t mean to do it.” When Cody looked over at her, Satine’s face was turned away. She was watching the big delegation from Coruscant in their team huddle. “I can tell you that.”

“Speaking from personal experience?”

She smiled, a small, forced thing. “Yes.” Coruscant’s circle split apart, and Cody noticed Obi-Wan heading straight for their bench. Satine noticed him too. Her whole body tensed. “I’m going to practice my speech,” she announced, standing up.

“When do finals postings come out for you?” he asked her.

“They said within half an hour.”

“If you break, I’ll come watch,” he promised.

Her smile this time was large and genuine. “That would be very nice.”

Cody watched her go. After a few moments, Obi-Wan settled himself in the place where she had been sitting. “Sorry about your quarters round,” his boyfriend said.

“It’s all good,” he replied, and meant it.

* * *

Ahsoka and Rex happened to be passing by the prep room, where the kids in extemp finals were writing their speeches, when Ahsoka saw that boy Lux from the previous day. He was sitting pretty close to the door, so she was able to easily identify her beloved red pen in his hand. 

He was in extemp finals, huh? Well, now she was definitely going to watch. Never mind that she had no idea what extemp was or how it worked. She was going to be there, and she was going to get her pen back.

“Ahsoka?” Rex asked, from where he stood by the exit. She was still standing at the door of the prep room trying to burn into Lux with the aid of her eyes alone.

“I’m going to watch extemp finals,” she announced.

“What?”

She gestured for him to come over, and he followed reluctantly. “See that kid?” she whispered, pointing to Lux. “He’s the one who stole my pen. I need to get it back.”

“So your solution is to watch extemp finals?”

“Yes!” Ahsoka tried to communicate  _ Of course, Rex, what other solution is there? _ in the glare she gave him. “I need my pen back!”

Rex sighed, and then he said, in a totally resigned tone of voice, “I’ll watch it with you.”

  
  


1:35 PM

**states squad**

**Anakin Skywalker**

@Rex Fett @Ahsoka Tano where are you guys?

 

**Rex Fett**

Watching extemp finals.

 

**Anakin Skywalker**

Since when do you two like extemp

 

**Rex Fett**

We don’t

But ahsoka saw the guy who stole her pen yesterday and he’s in extemp finals

So she decided that she was going to watch extemp finals just to get it back

 

**Padmé Amidala**

Lux is in extemp finals? No one told me or Obi-Wan!

That’s amazing! A sophomore in extemp finals. And from Coruscant too! Wow.

 

**Cody Fett**

Idk how extemp works

How do you know how extemp works

 

**Rex Fett**

I don’t

I’m learning

And i’m not liking what i see

 

**Anakin Skywalker**

Lmao what are u seeing

 

**Rex Fett**

The guy who gave a speech before the current one

“Mike Pompeo’s gonna be a great Secretary of State because he’s got the moves, the music, and the right partner to dance with.”

 

**Cody Fett**

What

 

**Anakin Skywalker**

LMAO what does that even mean

 

**Obi-Wan Kenobi**

Analogy speeches never end well.

 

**Rex Fett**

That one didn’t start well either

He started off by beating his chest and screaming “Ba-dum. Ba-dum.”

Is this what extemp is

Bad analogies about government policy

 

**Obi-Wan Kenobi**

I mean, yes? But at their best, no.

 

**Anakin Skywalker**

Wait where’s ahsoka

 

**Rex Fett**

Well lux is speaking now and she’s trying to burn a hole into him with her eyes

She hasn’t touched her phone since he started talking

 

**Padmé Amidala**

He’s really not a bad kid. He probably took the pen by mistake.

 

**Rex Fett**

U don’t have to tell me

If ahsoka was slightly more chill about this whole pen thing i wouldn’t have had to watch that weird speech about partners and music

 

“We have to go!” Ahsoka hissed, pulling at Rex’s sleeve. He looked up from his phone. Lux was leaving, and Ahsoka was already halfway out of her seat. “I have to get my pen back from him!”

Rex sighed, shoved his phone into his pocket, and followed her obediently out the door.

“Hey!” Ahsoka yelled at Lux’s back as soon as the door closed behind Rex.

Lux turned around, and on recognizing Ahsoka, his face lit up. “Hi, Ahsoka!”

“You took my pen,” she accused. His face fell. Rex had to hold in his laughter. This kid clearly thought Ahsoka was cute and wanted to impress her, but she was hyper focused on one thing and one thing only.

Lux dug into his pocket and held out a red pen which Ahsoka clearly recognized, because she leaped forward and snatched it from his hand. “Thank you,” she said snippily, slipping it into a pocket. She started to walk away, but Lux got up the nerve and asked, “Ahsoka?”

She turned back around and raised an eyebrow at him. Rex watched with growing amusement as the kid’s face turned red. “Can- Would you go out with me sometime?” When Ahsoka didn’t immediately answer, he tacked on, “I really like you.”

“Thaaaaaanks,” Ahsoka dragged out awkwardly. She looked to Rex for assistance, but he just smirked and wordlessly gestured for her to answer. “Weeeeeell. Um. Okay.” 

Lux broke out into another smile. “Can I get your number?” he asked eagerly. 

Ahsoka hemmed and hawed before realizing that she had already agreed to a date, so she had to give him her contact information. Rex oversaw the entire process of exchanging phones and inputting numbers while barely restraining laughter. When they were done, Ahsoka grabbed Rex by the elbow and marched him out of the building, refusing to look him in the eye the entire time.

“Not one word,” she growled. 

Rex burst out laughing.

* * *

1:46 PM

**states squad**

**Anakin Skywalker**

MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY

@Rex Fett GET BACK HERE ASAP

 

**Rex Fett**

What now

 

**Padmé Amidala**

He needs you to continue the fake dating charade with me.

 

**Rex Fett**

Ugh

 

**Anakin Skywalker**

Don’t ‘ugh’ me young man

COACH PALPATINE SHOWED UP AND I WAS WITH PADME AND I THINK HE WAS WONDERING WHERE YOU WERE

 

**Rex Fett**

Young man?????

 

**Padmé Amidala**

He did ask where my “boyfriend” was.

 

**Rex Fett**

Can i just add the entirety of the proposal soundtrack to the spotify

I really feel like ryan reynolds rn

 

**Padmé Amidala**

I would be honored to have Sandra Bullock play me.

 

**Cody Fett**

Ryan reynolds is so much hotter than u rex

 

**Rex Fett**

By the rule of genetics that also means he’s hotter than u

So stfu

 

**Cody Fett**

Played myself

 

**Anakin Skywalker**

JUST GET HERE

AND YOU HAVE TO COME WATCH SEMIS

BC YOU DIDN’T WATCH QUARTERS

 

**Rex Fett**

Sigh

 

COLLABORATIVE PLAYLIST

**states 2018**

Created by Ahsoka Tano - 13 songs, 52 min

It Takes Two - Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock - Added by Rex Fett

Get Low - Ying Yang Twins, Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz - Added by Rex Fett

Freedom - Beautiful Creatures - Added by Rex Fett

I’ve Got You Under My Skin - Michael Bublé - Added by Rex Fett

U Can’t Touch This - M.C. Hammer - Added by Rex Fett

Relax - Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Added by Rex Fett

So Danco Samba - Luiz Bonfa - Added by Rex Fett

Coolin’ - Alex Wilson and Paul Booth - Added by Rex Fett

Find My Way - Gabe Dixon - Added by Rex Fett

  
  


2:19 PM

**states squad**

**Pen Gollum**

wow rex added everything

this is true dedication

 

**Rex Fett**

Can’t meme halfway

 

2:36 PM

**Snips**

skyguy……. the police have not found the van

 

**Skyguy**

Ok this makes no sense. This town is super empty. Where are they looking, inside classroom buildings? Jeez.

 

**Snips**

dude lol there are more important things to consider

like, how are we gonna get home

 

**Skyguy**

Oh shit.

 

**Snips**

yeahhhhhhhhh

 

**Skyguy**

A problem to worry about after padmé and obi wan win their finals round!

* * *

“Can I have the debate teams who made it to the elimination rounds please make their way to the stage?” The MC asked over the microphone. Their entire little contingent of six stood up and made their way to the left stage wing. Anakin slung his arm over Ahsoka’s shoulders and chanced a glance back at Padmé, who was walking next to Rex. She smiled at him, warm and open, and it made him regret the whole fake dating charade he had made her carry on. What he wouldn’t give to have his other arm over her shoulders, or her hand in his.

The MC finished giving out awards to the oratory finalists and called for them to move to center stage. Anakin followed the team in front of him obediently, trepidation in his stomach. He had never been part of such a large awards ceremony before. Who knew if he would ever be again?

The introduction and the first part of the awarding seemed to sweep by in a blur. One second, Anakin was standing next to Ahsoka listening to the MC drone on about how many teams had registered for the state qualifier, how many had qualified to states, and how many had made it to elimination rounds, and then the next he had a trophy in his hands and was being led back to his seat. But once that was over, time seemed to slow down. Cody and Rex received their quarters trophies and rejoined them, and then it was just a matter of waiting until someone was crowned champion.

Inevitably, there were only two teams left onstage: Padmé and Obi-Wan, hand in hand, and their opponents. From where he sat, Anakin could see Padmé smile up at Obi-Wan. Up there, even under the awful stage lighting and in a stiff pantsuit, she looked so beautiful. “And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for,” the MC began. “Your state champions, on a 4-1 decision.”

* * *

 

“Your state champions, on a 4-1 decision.” The entire room held its breath. Or maybe it didn’t, Padmé wouldn’t know. She couldn’t focus on anyone but the MC. In a panic, she gripped Obi-Wan’s hand tightly. He squeezed back reassuringly. In this moment, as always, they were a united front, there for each other against the rest of the world.

“From Coruscant Academy-”

The world suddenly exploded into sound, muffling the announcer. She heard Anakin and Ahsoka whooping from the stands, Cody and Rex joining them, and at her side Obi-Wan yelled “Yes!”. The auditorium rose to its feet and applauded its state champions. The noise was almost deafening. Padmé threw her arms around Obi-Wan and hugged him as hard as she could. Laughing breathlessly in her ear, he hugged her back.

Someone handed them their giant trophies, and Padmé’s arms dropped from the unexpected weight. As they walked back to their seats, a smile remained on her face, stretching her cheeks to the point of discomfort, but she didn’t stop smiling. 

She slid into her seat next to Rex and grinned at Anakin, who was seated on his other side. He stared back at her, his stunning blue eyes alight with joy for her. Coach Palpatine had turned around in his seat and was saying something to her, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying. She was too focused on Anakin, even though they had been keeping up this charade of not dating all weekend.

“Just kiss him,” Rex told her lowly. 

Padmé looked at him in surprise. 

“Come on. Kiss him.”

Now Anakin glanced at him too, and then they made eye contact from across his chair. Padmé looked over at Coach Palpatine, who was still turned around and trying to talk to her. Anakin looked at him, looked at her, and then very clearly decided that he was giving up the charade.

He surged across the distance between them so quickly that Rex barely had any time to lean backwards before they were finally, finally, kissing in public.

There was a person in between them. Padmé’s trophy was poking into all sorts of uncomfortable places. 

It was the best kiss she’d ever had.

* * *

COLLABORATIVE PLAYLIST

**states 2018**

Created by Ahsoka Tano - 14 songs, 55 min

We Are The Champions - Queen - Added by Obi-Wan Kenobi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I make Cody angst a lot. :( I am tempted to leave this series marked incomplete as motivation to write funny fics where Cody has lots of fun and they center on him. Maybe Rex too.
> 
> Satine appeared! Writing her in was really hard. I tried to make up for villainizing her in the Saturday chapter by having her talk to Cody here.
> 
> Also, if you know extemp, you know it can so easily go so wrong. I honestly kind of hated it as an event (that's my opinion). It's 30 minutes of prep time for a seven minute speech on a topic relating to government policy. I watched the final round at my state championships, and I experienced the glorious speech that Rex and Ahsoka watch here. (It was not a good speech.)
> 
> And the last two scenes from the award ceremony - I've been planning that scene from Padme's POV for forever. I kind of had it sitting in a reference document since I started the second work in this series. And then I forgot that I wanted to write it in Padme's POV and started writing it from Anakin's eyes. Cue weird division of text and sudden change of perspective.
> 
> And whatever happened to Temple Forensics' van? There's a possibility of a sequel there ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Usually I don't publish any part of a multi-chapter fic until I have the entire thing written, but I'm on the last part and really close to finishing it! I know exactly how I want it to end, it's just a matter of transitions and doing some final edits. Chapters 2 and 3 are coming very very soon!


End file.
